Making the Case for Devils’ Blue Line Vacancy: Nemec, Casey or Edwards

With Kovacevic out long-term, Nemec is undoubtedly the best equipped to handle the responsibilities of a third-pair role without forcing the coaching staff to juggle the lineup. He’s played with most guys on the team already, and giving him minutes accelerates his development in becoming a long-term top blueliner for the Devils.

Looking at Seamus Casey

Where Nemec offers stability, Casey provides excitement. A product of the University of Michigan and one of the Devils’ most dynamic young defensemen, Casey has shown his ability at the NHL level. He’s a smooth skater, skilled both defensively and offensively and has the agility needed to control a play.

Casey has only played in 14 career games for the Devils, although in his short stint, he put up eight points, including two power-play goals, and averaged a plus-3. When Casey is in the lineup, he tends to perform well. However, there’s still a lack of experience that is important to note in filling in a consistent spot in the lineup. But slotting Casey in would give New Jersey a different look, especially if he’s deployed on the second power-play unit, where he’s already made an impact. While he’s not as defensively polished as Nemec, his offensive upside could certainly make up for it.

The Darkhorse: Ethan Edwards

Edwards doesn’t have the same prospect hype as Nemec or Casey, but he’s certainly not an afterthought. A steady, mobile defender also out of the University of Michigan, Edwards brings a style that has already appealed to Keefe and the coaching staff.

With Luke Hughes’ contract negotiations still looming, there is another spot in the lineup for now, and Edwards is making the case that he deserves it. In his first preseason game against the Islanders, Edwards scored a goal and looked assertive on the ice throughout the entirety of the game.

“I mean, he could skate with every player out there. In fact, he might be the best skating defensemen that we have,” Keefe said on Tuesday. “So there’s so much we can do with that. And he’s another guy, we’re just going to play a lot through preseason and keep working with him… I’m excited about him.”

What Edwards lacks in flash, he makes up for in consistency. He’s calm and collected around the puck, an incredible skater and a smart player. He could absolutely be an unlikely solution to the Devils’ defense problem.

Importantly, Casey also has yet to play a preseason game after “tweaking something” earlier in the week. With Casey temporarily out of the lineup, Edwards has a huge opportunity to make a name for himself. The Devils still have time to make a decision. Hopefully, the negotiations between management and Luke Hughes will be settled, but until then, they definitely have options to fill the gap.

The good news for the Devils is there’s no wrong answer in who they choose to fill these vacancies. Depth on defense has been a weakness for New Jersey for years, but now they’re in a position where three young, capable blueliners are ready to compete for NHL minutes. Kovacevic’s absence may sting, but it also presents an opportunity for the players and the organization to see how strong their pipeline really is.